Bethany Baptist Church

The Bethany Baptist Church was begun as a mission known as Faith Mission in January, 1955. The first meeting of the Mission was held at the I.O.O.F. Hall in Marceline with Sunday School and Training Union for all age groups and morning and evening worship services conducted by James L. Farris. In February of that year the Mission was organized into a duly constituted Southern Baptist Church with 105 charter members. The name Bethany which means “Friends of Jesus” was selected for the Church. During April 1955, the Church voted to erect a building at the present site at the corner of Howell and Missouri Streets, and Rev. A. J. Johnson was called as interim pastor and overseer of the building program. Members of Bethany Baptist Church sold bonds in the amount of $55,000 to erect the present building. Work was begun, and in August the Church moved from the I.O.O.F. Hall to the basement which had been partially completed. As the outside structure neared completion, Rev. Johnson resigned as Interim Pastor, and Rev. W. A. Merryman of Auburn, Kentucky, was called as pastor and assumed his duties on November 29, 1955. Work continued on the building, and in February 1956, the first service was held in the sanctuary with the observance of Cub Scout Sunday. On Sunday, June 24, 1956, the Dedication ceremony for the sanctuary was observed with Dr. Walter Pope Binns, then president of William Jewell College, delivering the dedicatory address. The first deacons elected by the church were Earl Thompson, J. B. Epperson, Kenneth VanWye, Cecil Wood, William Twitchell, Ed Schneeflock, Orville Porter, Harold McCullough, Wayne Thompson, Jr., L. W. Hawkins, R. W. Pischel, and Carl Heins. In May 1958, Rev. Merryman accepted a call to the Eastwood Hills Baptist Church, Kansas City, Missouri, and Rev. Wilbur Harbaugh, Bucklin, was called as pastor. Rev. Harbaugh assumed his duties on August 17, 1958. Rev. Harbaugh remained with the Church until November, 1962 when he accepted a call to the First Baptist Church, Doniphan, Missouri. In December 1962, Rev. Pierce Matheney, professor of Old Testament at the Midwestern Theological Seminary, Kansas City, was called as interim pastor. On April 3, 1963, the Church extended a call to Rev. Vernon Westenbrook, Kansas City, who assumed the pastorate of the Church on May 12, 1963. It has been estimated the value of the building now exceeds $80,000. The church building is of colonial design, constructed of red brick masonry. The sanctuary is beautiful in its simplicity with stained glass, arched windows and matching light fixtures. The sanctuary has a seating capacity of 340. The educational unit consists of three stories with the ground floor serving the dual purpose of kitchen, dining, and furnace rooms, and as a Sunday School department and class rooms. The second and third floors are made up entirely of departments and class rooms. Two young men have been licensed to preach by the church: Wayne Thompson, Jr., in 1956, and Richard Adams in 1961. Both men now are ordained ministers. Rev. Thompson is serving a church in Colorado, and Rev. Adams in Missouri. The Church has continued to offer a spiritual program to serve all age groups with Sunday School, Training Union, Sunday morning and evening worship services, Women’s Missionary Union, midweek worship service, graded choirs, Vacation Bible School, and numerous courses of study throughout the year. A preaching point has been established at the King Rest Home where services are conducted on the third Sunday of each month.

First Christian Church

In the oldest record book of the First Christian Church, we find these words: “At a meeting of the members of the Christian Church residing in the city of Marceline, Missouri, held at a vacant house on Santa Fe Avenue on the 3rd Lord’s day in May 1888 for the purpose (sic) of taking into consideration the feasibility of organizing a church. A resolution was unanimously adopted that we proceed organized, which was done in form of electing officers as follows: to wit: J. W. W. Waugh, S. E. Hoge and B. W. Bane, Elders; Marion Washbaugh, and A. C. Yocum, Deacons; J. R. Zimmerman, Clerk. With the number of 53 members enrolled on August 7, Elder J. W. W. Waugh was selected and engaged as pastor for one year, to preach half time for a salary of $300.00.” On October 7, 1888, S. E. Hoge was elected president, J. A. Smith, treasurer and collector; M. Helwig to furnish emblems and take care of communion set. The first Deaconesses were elected November 20, 1892, Elizabeth Day and Julia Dinsmore. On December 11, 1892, Louisa Sherwood‘s name was added to the list. The first baptism of the new church was Julia R. Patrick, on November 4, 1889. The members met each Sunday in this vacant building, until August, 1889, at which time they secured the use of the Baptist Church for a period of six months for the sum of twenty-five dollars, paid in advance. On November 3, 1889, Brother F. W. Cottingham began a 21-day meeting, during which 52 persons were added to the congregation. The board of officers met at the Opera House on December 14, 1889, and appointed a committee to secure funds and erect a church building on Gracia Avenue. The building site had been secured previously. The building committee was composed of L. C. Pendleton, H. C. Kibbler, and I. Jeff Buster, W. S. Atwell, and B. J. Patrick as assistant. W. S. Atwell was to superintend the building of the foundation. The house, when completed, was dedicated by J. H. Harden on September 28, 1890. At this time $458.32 was raised to eliminate all indebtedness. This building was the home of the congregation for 25 years. On December 6, 1914, it was decided that the old building was inadequate to the needs of the Church, and especially the Bible school, and a committee was appointed to rebuild, with the instructions to use the old building in the reconstruction. An entirely new auditorium was erected, the old structure being converted into the Bible School annex. Those comprising this committee were A. L. Kleine, J. A. Nickell, L. E. Shelton, I. Jeff Buster, J. B. Pfister, W. C. Patrick, Rev. David Lyon, W. C. Arnold, B. A. Guyer, Geo. Kunkle, Isaac Howe, T. H. Staats, and A. H. Boltz. A. J. Richardson was the contractor and builder. The Reverend Alfred Munyon assisted the congregation in raising $8,000 to begin building operations. Construction was begun in February 1915, and the new home was dedicated December 19, 1915 at a cost of $16,590. On February 16, 1916, a new Hinner’s two manual organ was dedicated by Prof. Edward Kreiser, of Kansas City. The Church Choir took the initiative in the installation of the organ. It cost $2,000. The committee on securing the organ was J. A. Nickell, A. J. Richardson, A. L. Kleine, Mrs. A. H. Boltz, and Mrs. Sue Staples. In 1953 the pipe organ was found to be in need of extensive repairs. Due to the cost it was decided to purchase an electric organ. The Music Committee, composed of Mrs. Cecil Swinehart, Mrs. Elmer Bealmear, and Mrs. Ross Wootten recommended the present Hammond Organ which was installed in December of that year. The house at 131 West Gracia Street was purchased for the minister’s home in 1943, and in 1961 the congregation sold it and built the present parsonage at 424 South Poplar Street, at a cost of approximately $20,000.